
Fat transfer, also known as fat grafting or autologous fat injection, is one of the most versatile interventions in modern chirurgie plastique. It involves harvesting fat from one area of the body where it is unwanted, carefully processing it, and then reinjecting it into another area that would benefit from added volume or contour. The result is a natural-looking enhancement achieved entirely with your own tissue, eliminating the need for synthetic implants or temporary fillers.
Dr. Saba Al Marush is a chirurgienne plasticienne certifiée in Dubai who has refined her transfert de graisse technique through years of training and practice. She offers fat grafting interventions for the face, breasts, buttocks, and hands, delivering results that look and feel completely natural.
The transfert de graisse process involves three distinct stages, each requiring precision and expertise to achieve a natural-looking outcome.
Fat is collected from a donor area of your body using a gentle liposuccion technique. Common donor sites include the abdomen, flanks (love handles), thighs, and back. Dr. Saba uses specialised low-pressure liposuccion cannulas that minimise trauma to the fat cells during extraction, which is critical for maximising the survival rate of the transferred fat.
The harvesting process offers a dual benefit: you lose unwanted fat from the donor area while gaining volume where you desire it most.
Once harvested, the fat undergoes a meticulous purification process. This involves separating the viable, healthy fat cells from blood, oil, anaesthetic fluid, and damaged cells. Dr. Saba employs advanced processing techniques, including centrifugation and filtration, to isolate healthy fat cells for reinjection.
The quality of fat processing directly influences the survival rate of the transferred fat and, ultimately, the longevity and quality of your results.
The purified fat is carefully injected into the recipient area using fine cannulas. Dr. Saba uses a micro-droplet technique, placing small amounts of fat in multiple layers and planes within the tissue. This approach ensures that each fat cell has maximum contact with the surrounding blood supply, which is essential for the cells to establish a new blood supply and survive permanently.
The injection process is as much an art as it is a science. Dr. Saba sculpts and contours the area with each pass of the cannula, building volume gradually to achieve a smooth, natural result.
Facial fat grafting is an excellent option for restoring youthful volume lost through ageing. Common traitement areas include the cheeks, temples, under-eye hollows, nasolabial folds, jawline, and lips. Unlike synthetic fillers, which are eventually absorbed by the body, a significant portion of transferred facial fat survives permanently, providing lasting rejuvenation.
Fat transfer to the face can also improve skin quality in the treated area, as the transferred fat contains stem cells and growth factors that promote healthier, more radiant skin.
For patients who desire a modest increase in breast size (typically 1 cup fuller or less) without implants, transfert de graisse to the breasts is an excellent alternative to traditional augmentation mammaire. The intervention provides a natural look and feel, with no risk of implant-related complications such as capsular contracture or implant rupture.
Fat transfer augmentation mammaire is ideal for patients who want subtle enhancement, wish to improve breast asymmetry, or want to refine the results of a previous augmentation with implants.
The Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) is a well-established transfert de graisse intervention. It involves harvesting fat from areas such as the abdomen, back, and thighs, and transferring it to the buttocks to create a fuller, rounder, and more lifted appearance. The simultaneous slimming of the donor areas enhances the overall body contour, creating an hourglass effect.
Dr. Saba follows the latest safety protocols for BBL chirurgie, including superficial fat injection techniques that avoid the deep gluteal muscles, significantly reducing the risk of complications.
Ageing hands often reveal age through visible veins, tendons, and volume loss. Fat transfer to the hands restores a youthful plumpness, softening the appearance of veins and tendons while improving skin quality. The intervention is quick, and results can be remarkably rejuvenating.

One of the most important aspects of transfert de graisse that patients need to understand is fat survival. Not all of the transferred fat cells will survive in their new location. A portion of the transferred fat is naturally reabsorbed; the fat that establishes a new blood supply survives permanently, so the result is assessed once it has settled.
Several factors influence fat survival rates:
Dr. Saba accounts for the expected absorption when planning the intervention, often slightly overfilling the area to achieve the desired final result once the initial swelling subsides and the non-surviving fat cells are reabsorbed.
Both transfert de graisse and implants have their place in chirurgie plastique, and the best option depends on the patient’s goals, anatomy, and preferences.
For facial rejuvenation, patients often consider both transfert de graisse and injections de comblement. Key differences include:

Récupération varies depending on the areas treated and the volume of transfert de graissered. General guidelines include:
Specific precautions apply depending on the traitement area. For example, patients who undergo a BBL should avoid sitting directly on their buttocks for approximately 2 weeks and use a specialised cushion for several weeks thereafter.
The fat cells that successfully establish a blood supply in their new location survive permanently. A portion of the transferred fat is naturally reabsorbed, so the result is assessed once it has settled. The surviving fat behaves like normal fat tissue and will respond to weight changes, so maintaining a stable weight helps preserve your results.
Fat transfer is considered a safe intervention with a low complication rate, particularly when performed by an experienced, chirurgienne plasticienne certifiée. Since the intervention uses your own tissue, there is no risk of allergic reaction or foreign body rejection. Dr. Saba follows the latest safety protocols, particularly for interventions like the BBL.
Yes, transfert de graisse can be repeated if additional volume is desired or if the initial fat survival rate is lower than expected. Some patients choose to have a second session to fine-tune their results, which is a routine and straightforward intervention.
You need to have sufficient fat available in a donor area for harvesting. During your consultation, Dr. Saba will assess your body composition and determine whether you have adequate fat reserves. Patients who are very lean may not be ideal candidates for transfert de graisse, as there may not be enough donor fat available.
As with any surgical intervention, transfert de graisse carries some risks, including infection, bleeding, asymmetry, and under- or over-correction. Fat necrosis (hardened lumps of fat that did not survive) can occasionally occur but is usually minor and self-resolving. Dr. Saba discusses all potential risks during your consultation.
Liposuccion is a intervention focused on removing unwanted fat from specific body areas. Fat transfer includes the liposuccion step for fat harvesting but goes further by processing and reinjecting the fat into another area for volume enhancement. Think of transfert de graisse as “recycling” your own fat from where you do not want it to where you do.
The incisions used for both fat harvesting and injection are very small (a few millimetres) and are placed in inconspicuous locations. These tiny incisions typically heal to become barely visible over time.
Yes, transfert de graisse is commonly combined with other interventions such as liposuccion, augmentation mammaire, lifting du visages, and remodelage corporel to achieve comprehensive results in a single surgical session.
Discover how transfert de graisse can enhance your natural contours using your own body fat. Dr. Saba Al Marush offers detailed consultations to evaluate your anatomy, discuss your goals, and create a personalised fat grafting plan.
Contact our Dubai clinic today to book your private consultation and learn how transfert de graisse can help you achieve the natural, balanced enhancement you desire.